'My job was to be worthy of the faith people placed in me': Ranbir on playing Lord Rama in 'Ramayana'

Actor Ranbir Kapoor says playing Lord Rama in the upcoming mythological epic "Ramayana" was more than an acting assignment for him, as he constantly reminded himself of the faith audiences had placed in him.

The makers have released a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube featuring Ranbir, director Nitesh Tiwari and co-stars Arun Govil and Sai Pallavi discussing the making of the film and Ranbir's transformation into Lord Rama.

"This isn't a role, or merely an exciting role in a movie. This is a responsibility... So every day, I reminded myself that my job was not to be worthy of this role. My job was to be worthy of the faith that people placed in this role," Ranbir said in the five-minute video.

"But I think everything just comes down to the simplicity and belief of the individual playing Lord Rama," he added.

Produced by Namit Malhotra's DNEG and Prime Focus Studios, "Ramayana" is being mounted as a global-scale adaptation of the Indian mythological epic.

The first instalment is scheduled to release worldwide on November 6, coinciding with Diwali, while the second part is planned for 2027.

Ranbir stars as Lord Rama, with Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.

Arun Govil, who became widely known for playing Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar's iconic television series "Ramayan", features as King Dasharatha in the new film.

For Govil, "Ramayana" represents far more than a story.

"Ramayana has no single definition. It is our dignity, honour, pride, culture, and heritage," he said.

"Everything for us here is the Ramayana," he added.

Govil also praised Ranbir's qualities, saying the actor had the temperament required for the role.

"Normally, you wouldn't expect a superstar to come and touch your feet. But he always does it. Among the current generation of young stars, Ranbir is the closest fit to play Lord Rama," he said.

Tiwari said finding the right actor for Lord Rama was particularly challenging given the significance of the character.

"Ramayana is the oldest epic known to mankind. And that's what we believe in India that even if you can imbibe one percent of the values which Lord Rama had, you will be a great person. Now imagine what kind of person he was. And that's why casting Lord Rama was almost next to impossible. All we could do was try," he said.

When producer Namit Malhotra discussed Ranbir with him, Tiwari said he felt the actor could fulfil the demands of the role.

"He ticked all the boxes," the director said.

Sai Pallavi recalled the image of Lord Rama she had grown up with and said she was struck when she saw Ranbir embody a similar visual.

"He is a very slender Rama and his head is a little tilted... and there's a bow this way. There's a small and petite Sita. That is the image I remember from my childhood. Now suddenly I could see that Rama that I saw in my childhood and I was awestruck," she said.

For Ranbir, another highlight of the project was the international expertise brought together by Malhotra to create the film.

He spoke about working with Terry Notary, known for his work on major Hollywood productions, and said he trained under him in body language and movement.

Ranbir said Notary's belief in the story made the experience particularly meaningful.

"We had the amazing legend, Guy Norris, who I had the good fortune of doing two action set pieces... But him being so interested in the emotionality of Lord Rama was such a pleasant surprise," he said.

"Ramayana" has a screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan, with Tiwari also credited on the screenplay.

The film is backed by Yash's Monster Mind Creations, while Dharma Productions is handling distribution across North India's Hindi-speaking markets. Sony Pictures is releasing the film internationally.